Mechanic shows why Tesla Model X Plaid may fail inspection in Germany after just 10,000 miles

Even though the vast majority Tesla buyers are putting their money into the rather affordable Model Y or Model 3, the American EV pioneer also offers a much larger and more spacious electric SUV in the form of the Tesla Model X. With a current list price of just under US$90,000, the performance-oriented Plaid trim costs more than twice as much as the re-introduced RWD base model of the immensely popular Model Y.

Unfortunately, customers who presume that the extremely expensive Tesla Model X Plaid is equipped with high-quality and durable components that match its price point should brace themselves for disappointment before watching the latest YouTube video from a German mechanic called "AT-Zimmermann". Supposedly, a customer brought his almost new Model X into the repair shop because its alignment was off after hitting curb with the front left wheel. Admittedly, this self-inflicted defect is not a sign of bad durability on part of Tesla, but after a quick inspection, the EV mechanic also found a more disconcerting quality issue on the opposite end of the electric SUV, whose mileage of just above 10,000 miles would not raise any major concerns about wear and tear.

Nevertheless, Tesla apparently equips the Model X Plaid with the exact same type of uniball joint that is found in the Model Y, whose Performance variant has less than half as much power as the bigger brother. Since the aforementioned joint has already caused some issues in the smaller sister model, it's not surprising that the component also showed some obvious signs of wear and had to be replaced on the Model X in question. The corresponding video, which is available with auto-translated English subtitles, also shows the low-quality grease which might be the culprit of this premature failure. For Tesla drivers in Germany, small issues like these can result in a failed technical inspection, which is considerably more thorough than in the US and is due three years after a car was first registered. Fortunately, aftermarket parts with better build quality exist and can remedy this situation.

Get the Tesla windshield sun shade with "Elon Musk to Mars" design on Amazon